More jobs, less inequality – it’s a fact

Minister for Small and Family Business, the Workplace and Deregulation

Member for Reid

The release today of annual data on household income and labour has demolished Labor’s claims of growing inequality in Australia.

The 13th annual Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey by the Melbourne Institute shows relative poverty (household equivalised income less than 50 per cent of the median) is at an all-time low.

The report also shows that inequality of individuals’ equivalised household disposable income has fallen each year since 2013, and is now lower than it ever was under Labor.

As the leading researcher of the HILDA survey, Professor Roger Wilkins stated: "All this language about the sky falling, in terms of households struggling and the spread of disadvantage, is not borne out by the evidence."

The report also exposes Labor and union lies on the growth of the gig economy and the rise of non-standard forms of work. It shows rates of self-employment have been in marked decline in Australia.

The HILDA findings come on top of other independent studies undermining the Labor/ACTU scare campaign on casual and part-time work.

In the most recent study, Griffith University Professor, David Peetz, said there was no evidence to back claims the rate of causal employment was increasing, saying casualisation had, "pretty much stabilised over the past decade."

Latest labour force data shows 339,000 jobs were created over the year to June 2018, 158,200 of these were full-time jobs.

Business confidence has been trending up since 2013, and the growth in consumer confidence has been stronger than at any time since 2013.

Confidence enables and encourages economic growth. Labor’s scare campaign based on lies only serves to undermine confidence and damages the economy.

The Turnbull Government remains focused on growing the economy to support businesses and jobs and improve living standards for all Australians.